Floyd Mayweather JR: A Victory if Manny Pacquiao Loses
By Joe Wilson
Gambling has never been a foreign word to Floyd “Money” Mayweather JR. Black Jack tables, slot machines along all types of sports gambling is part of the surrounding he lives in. If you ask him, he would probably tell you that he wouldn’t have it any other way! Looking at his astonishing record of 41 wins with 25 of them by knockout and 0 losses, anyone would think–if nothing else, that this guy has surely become accustom to winning.
Putting off the mega-fight with Manny Pacquiao for this fall is definitely rolling the dice. The question that probably lingers in the back of his mind is…
What if?
Floyd Mayweather, JR., was born Floyd Sinclair on February 24, 1977, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mayweather JR., is currently rated by The Ring Magazine as the number two pound-for-pound best boxer in the world. However, there are several other boxing websites including BoxRec, Fox Sports and BBC Sports all have him rated as the number one pound-for-pound best boxer.
Floyd is a five division world champion and has won nine world titles in five different weight classes. Aside from Floyd’s boxing record he also is the co-founder of HBO’s 24/7 TV series. This series allows boxing fans and non-boxing fans to take a 30 minute in-depth look at the lives of two fighters about to compete on HBO pay-per-view. This series has been a success in boosting pay-per-view buys, thanks to Floyd Mayweather JR.
The big bright and glamorous lights of Las Vegas, Nevada…it is where Floyd Mayweather JR. resides. He is often seen cruising down the popular Las Vegas Blvd; whether sporting a Mercedes, Ferrari or Bentley he is always riding in style. He is no stranger to the most lavish casinos on the strip. He fights has generated mega dollars on the boulevard, so I’m quite sure he feels at home at whatever casino he’s visiting there.
We all know that this coming weekend the big fight is in Dallas, Texas. Manny Pacquiao 51 wins 38 by KO 3 losses w/ 2 draws have the pleasure of highlighting the evening with a match-up against Antonio Margarito 38 wins 27 by KO 6 losses w/ 1 no contest.
I must admit very few boxing fans thought Manny should enter into a boxing match with Margarito. This fight in the eyes of many should not be taking place. Margarito has just recently come off of a 12 month suspension, where he was banned from boxing for being caught using illegal hand wraps in a fight against Shane Mosley a little over a year ago.
I guess if you put two shrewd business men together, with very deep pockets– one can accomplish just about anything. Top Rank Boxing, Bob Arum and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has proven to be just that! The relationship between the two men seems to be “solid as a rock.” Regardless of the media and how they feel about this fight, it’s going down this weekend. This Saturday night you can expect a huge turn out. The Dallas Cowboys Football season is over or seems that way. Jerry Jones just fired his head coach Wade Phillips, so you can expect him to channel a lot of his attention toward this fight Saturday night.
Even though I know Manny will come into this fight as a huge favorite. There is still this little thing that makes me unsure about the outcome. We all know Margarito’s defense is absent. It always has been. We also know Manny’s speed and power is relentless, so on those things alone, he should come out victorious. But…still there is something that not totally clear about the outcome of this one.
Maybe I just like rooting for the underdog, regardless of the person. Maybe somewhere in the back of my mind I would like to forgive Margarito for his past behavior or his innocents thereof. Maybe, just maybe…this is the fight that redeems him and his career as a boxer. If nothing else I would be willing to challenge anyone, that his conditioning will be stellar. This is an opportunity of a life time for Antonio Margarito.
Floyd Mayweather, JR., has to be thinking all sorts of things right now. His legal battles, his stepping aside from fighting Manny this go around and that magic word “what if?” What if Manny Pacquiao loses this fight to Margarito? What if Margarito somehow take some punishment early in the fight, but the later rounds he to starts to hit Pacquiao clean? He is definitely the bigger man. What if Manny hits Margarito with every power shot he has and Margarito keeps coming?
What if Manny get confused by Margarito’s endurance? All of those what if’s can truly be factored into this fight! What would losing this fight to Margarito do to the big Mega-Fight against Floyd? Well, let’s see here. Anytime a fighter loses his previous fight, he usually loses some of his audience.
So, if he loses Saturday night, he would have to fight Margarito again, and that will only eat up time. That would definitely change things a bit for a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. If Manny should lose to Margarito, negotiations would favor Floyd, but I don’t think that would bother Bob Arum as much, because he now have two fights in the bag for Margarito against Manny. And then he promotes a rematch of Margarito vs. Cotto which would sell. At the same time he’s now totally ready to put Manny and Floyd together.
Remember in-house fighters first!
A loss this weekend would help Mayweather JR., in negotiations against Team Pacquiao, however, the dollar value of this event could possibly slide south a bit.
What keeps this fight a mega-fight or even bigger; is if, Pacquiao should beat Margarito very badly or possibly knock him out. That will raise the stock of Pacquaio, tremendously. Mayweather has already beat Mosley and Mosley demolished Margarito. If Margarito beats Manny, then Floyd looks more superior over all the welterweights. If and when Mayweather JR. vs. Pacquiao becomes a reality this fight will still attract an audience regardless of the outcome of Saturday night.